On the weekend Steve, the kids and I stopped in at our local garden centers to pick up a few pretty flowers, but also with vegetables in mind. Every year when we take the time to plant vegetables, we all benefit from having our own “backyard grocery store.” Nothing tastes better than produce picked and prepared within minutes of leaving the soil.

To make our gardening experience easier and enjoyable for the whole family (not just mom), I designed raised garden beds that are different heights, different sizes and different shapes. For my eye, this is visually pleasing from all angles of the yard, making it more than just a garden. Besides, it reduces the amount of weed pulling, keeps out those slimy snails, is dog and bunny proof, and makes it easy for the girls to garden at a comfortable height. No more mucky shoes:)!

The sizes of my boxes range from 2-6 feet wide and 8 inches to 2 feet high. I carefully planned my boxes based on the types of vegetables I would grow, considering the height and texture of the plants.

The next most important design aspect of the garden was to use new and old materials, reusing as much as I can and buying only what is necessary. I had some cedar rails on the property, as well as barn beams from our old barn. The barn was probably built in the mid 1800s so you can imagine how beautiful they are, showing signs of the hands that cut it so many years ago and aged to perfection!

The new material we purchased was the wood to build the boxes and the nails and screws necessary for assembly. I hand sketched the concept as you saw in the previous blog, sat with Steve to figure out the amount of wood, and off he went to Home Depot. We carefully measured the pieces and built one box at a time. The barn beams were incredibly hard wood, so they took a long time to cut with the chain saw.

As you can see from the photos below, the girls were in and out of the house, helping when they could, and also spent a lot of time watching our dog, Thunder. They also made tow little table from the extra nails and pieces of wood. The garden boxes became their hangout for the afternoon, where they ate and had some “good times” together!

Here are some shots of the initial build. Steve was in charge of cutting the wood and I was in charge of assembly. Seriously, I got to use a hammer and power tools, not just wooden spoons and spatulas! We started mid afternoon Saturday and completed the boxes, doing the rough layout on the driveway. By the time we were finished, we were pretty exhausted but seeing the garden come to life this far was very exciting!

The next steps will be moving the garden to its place in the yard, where we will reinforce the larger boxes and start setting up the cedar rails. I can’t wait! The plants are sitting patiently in the garage, the soil and gravel are on their way. Stay tuned for day two of Fokas on Revitalizing the Family Garden.

I anticipate watching everyone across North America starting to live a life similar to mine, (if they have not already started) shopping farmers’  markets, sourcing locally grown and produced food, and planting a garden, large or small.

This is a healthy sustainable lifestyle, enjoy it!

PS – Our Caledon Farmers’ Market opens this Saturday from 8-1pm! I will be preparing fine market fare. Stop in for a taste of the market!

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